A vintage Gleaner combine harvests a cornfield along LeSueur County Road 13 near Lake Jefferson.

under harvest

Partially harvested…

and unharvested.

Roads lead me by farm sites,

aged stately barns

Near historic Marysburg in LeSueur County.

and mammoth bins awaiting the yield.

Following a tractor pulling a 1970s era gravity box along LeSueur County Road 13.

I observe, too, farmers creeping tractors trailing wagons,

zipping along rural roadways

Visiting at the intersection of LeSueur County roads 13 and 16.

and stalled in conversation at a rural intersection.

Cattle graze along 241st Avenue, just off LeSueur County Road 13.

I scan the landscape with the eyes of someone who misses the farm,

A harvested field glistens with puddled rainwater and mud. Too much rain has slowed the harvest for farmers in southern Minnesota. They will be working long days and nights to catch up and get the crop in before the snow flies.

WHEN MINNESOTANS CONSIDER best places to see fall colors, they often think of the North Shore and Mississippi or Minnesota River towns. I doubt many think of Rice County.

Angling in Kelly Lake.

But we have some fantastic colors right here, right now, in this region an hour south of the Twin Cities metro.

I switched lenses for a closer view of the Kelly Lake angler and the stunning treeline.

Saturday morning, after picking up potatoes and zucchini at the Faribault Farmers’ Market, Randy and I headed north and west out of town on Minnesota State Highway 21 for a fall color tour. Our first turn took us off the highway headed for Kelly Lake. There we pulled into the public access off Kelly Lake Trail so I could snap a few photos in the beautiful mid-morning light.

A scene along 175th Street West on the way to French Lake.

Fishing French Lake.

A section of the French Lake shoreline ablaze in orange.

From there we drove toward French Lake, stopping at the public access along 177th St. West. I photographed more anglers fishing in the wind and cold. Already clouds were beginning to push in, greying the skies.

Near Roberds Lake.

Arriving a short while later at Roberds Lake, even heavier clouds settled in. We wished for sunshine to better showcase the fall colors, but realistically did not expect the veil of grey to lift.

Ableman’s Apple Creek Orchard is located at 5524 185th Street West. “Take a left by the smiley face near Roberds Lake” to find the orchard.

A turn onto 185th Street West yielded a surprise—Ableman’s Apple Creek Orchard. We stopped for a bulging bag of pie apples, chatting it up with friendly Diane who lives a mile down the road. Before we pulled back onto the highway, I admired the stone foundation on the mammoth orchard barn and photographed a stone still horse.

A clump of colorful woods southwest of Roberds Lake along Garfield Avenue required another stop on a gravel road.

Not much luck fishing Cedar Lake on this Saturday morning.

Eventually we reached Cedar Lake, where boaters were trying their luck—one had fished for three hours with only a single catch.

My eyes swept across the lake to the opposite shore and trees flaming red and orange between those still green.

As time raced toward noon, Randy steered the van back toward Faribault along Rice County Road 12. Swatches of colorful trees sweep along this stretch of roadway in the distance.

Eventually we ended up on Cedar Lake Boulevard before connecting with Roberds Lake Boulevard. There, at that intersection, a stunning maple flamed fire against the grey like an exclamation point at the end of our Rice County Fall Color Drive.

FYI: If you want to see the fall colors in Rice County, I wouldn’t wait. They likely will not be around for much longer.

WITH OCTOBER NEARING mid-month and days until winter here in Minnesota dwindling, I feel a sense of urgency to observe and experience every nuance of autumn. That often means ignoring outdoor fall chores for a road trip or a walk in the woods or a stop at the apple orchard.

Among the many inviting autumn scenes staged in Wabasha.

This past Sunday took Randy and me east toward the Mississippi River town of Wabasha, one of my favorite southeastern Minnesota communities. This city knows how to welcome visitors via two months of celebration, coined SeptOberfest. I’ll share two aspects of Wabasha’s focus on fall in upcoming posts. But for today, here’s a photo peak at those nuances of autumn which so endear me to this season in Minnesota.

The beauty of rural Minnesota in autumn along a county road east of Bellechester and heading toward Wabasha.

I love the vistas of drying corn and soybean fields sweeping across the land.

A farm site viewed from Minnesota State Highway 60 in the Zumbro Falls area.

I love the flashes of red farm buildings in a muting landscape.

My sister Lanae, a floral designer in Waseca, created this autumn scene in her backyard.

In our many years of day trips in southeastern Minnesota, Randy and I have found some of the best fall colors in Rice County. This scene was shot from Rice County Road 84/Falk Avenue. The gravel road parallels Rice County Road 20, which is considered the “back road” between Faribault and Northfield. This scene is near the intersection of CR 84 with 154th street.

I swapped on my telephoto lens for a closer look at the distant treeline as seen from CR 84. Other places to view wonderful fall colors in Rice County are west of Faribault around the lakes and also in Faribault along residential streets in old neighborhoods, at River Bend Nature Center and from City View Park. I think we have some of the best autumn hues in southeastern Minnesota.

I love the hillsides of trees transitioning from green to yellow, orange and red.

ALREADY THE EARTHY HUES of autumn brush the Minnesota landscape. Touches of red and orange and yellow tip trees now spiraling leaves onto grass and asphalt and sidewalks.

I delight in autumn, a season I welcome for the crisp nights that birth mornings of warm sunshine. Each day seems a gift to hold heart close.

Summer memories fly on the wings of butterflies dipping among fading plants—milkweed and goldenrod and petunias drying in pots.

The air carries the scent of corn ripening, the anticipation of harvest approaching, the promise of the yield.

And in the evening, when the sun slips too soon into darkness, when I close the windows against the overnight cold, I smell still the spicy aroma of chili ladled into handcrafted bowls shaped of the earth. And I am grateful for this season of autumn in Minnesota.

For example, from now until October 19, the park is hosting a Fall Photo Quest scavenger hunt. Bring your digital camera or borrow one at the Visitor Center where you will get instructions. Collect fall photos while learning why and how leaves change color.

On Saturday, October 5, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., gather native seeds for planting in park restorations. Sign up at the Visitor Center.

The following Saturday, October 12, from noon – 4 p.m., join the Autumn Trees Scavenger Hunt, collecting clues along trails as you discover which leaf belongs to which tree. Stop at the Visitor Center to start your adventure.

Also on Saturday, October 12, St. John’s United Church of Christ, Wheeling Township, sponsors its 17th annual Big Woods Run beginning at the country church near the park. Registration deadlines are October 7 and 8. After the race, enjoy a luncheon featuring homemade soups and more, an awards ceremony and a bake sale. For more info, click here.

My husband, Randy, and me at Eagle Panorama. Yes, Randy is wearing the shell of his winter coat over a heavy hooded sweatshirt. I was not smart enough to bring along my winter coat or a hat. Photo by Miranda Helbling.

My husband, Randy, with our daughter Miranda, who has lived and worked as a Spanish medical interpreter in Appleton, Wisconsin, an hour south and west of Door County, for nearly two years. This image was shot at Eagle Panorama.

My husband, Randy, daughter Miranda and I toured northeastern Wisconsin’s scenic peninsula on Thursday when fall colors were at their prime.

Except for the raging wind blasting us from Green Bay on the west side and, later, Lake Michigan on the east, we savored the day. How could we not, with colors this stunning, these from Peninsula State Park?

Treetop view from Eagle Tower. Photo by Randy Helbling because I would not climb the 75-foot tall tower which rises 225 feet above the shoreline. You can barely see Shore Road, bottom right, the road we drove through the park.

If I wasn’t afraid of heights, I could have seen this view from Eagle Tower shot by my husband, Randy. The road on the left is Shore Road, the route we took through Peninsula State Park.

Eagle Tower, built in 1914 as a forest fire observation platform, offers a scenic view of Green Bay and beyond. Photo by Randy Helbling.

Horseshoe Island as seen from Eagle Panorama, not to be confused with Eagle Tower.

The Eagle Bluff lighthouse, built in 1868 and on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. Door County is home to 11 lighthouses. No, we did not tour any and saw only this one.

Remember my earlier mention of the wind? Well, these waves on Green Bay show you just how windy it was on Thursday morning when a wind advisory was in affect for Door County. I believe winds were around 25 – 30 mph.

Near the pier in Peninsula State Park.

Do not let this illusion of calm waters fool you. We did not walk very far onto the pier because of the fierce wind.

It’s a scenic drive along Shore Road through Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek.

HAVE YOU VISITED Door County? If so, what were the highlights of your trip?